Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Heuchera sp. cultivar Frosted Violet.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant, botanically known as Heuchera sp. and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Frosted Violetxe2x80x99.
The new Heuchera is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Heuchera cultivars having good plant vigor, dense and uniform plant habit, and showy and attractive flower and leaf coloration.
The new Heuchera was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Scottdale, Pa., from seedling progeny from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 1998, of the Heuchera cultivar Silver Lode, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,339, as the female, or seed, parent with the Heuchera cultivar Bronze Wave, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Heuchera was selected by the Inventor in May, 1999. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable flower and foliage coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Heuchera by cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Scottdale, Pa., since August, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Heuchera are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Frosted Violet has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Frosted Violetxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Frosted Violetxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera:
1. Full, densely foliated and uniformly mounded plant habit.
2. Upper surfaces of leaves silvery purple in color; lower leaf surfaces dark purple in color.
3. Numerous showy pink-colored flowers arranged on erect to outwardly spreading panicles.
4. Long flowering period extending from early to late summer.
5. Excellent garden performance.
Plants of the new Heuchera can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Silver Lode. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of the cultivar Silver Lode in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera were more sharply lobed than leaves of plants of the cultivar Silver Lode.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera had silvery purple-colored upper surfaces whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Silver Lode had silvered bronze-colored upper surfaces.
3. Leaf petioles of plants of the new Heuchera were pubescent whereas leaf petioles of plants of the cultivar Silver Lode were glabrous.
4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Heuchera were more outwardly spreading than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Silver Lode.
5. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera were pink in color whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Silver Lode were greenish white in color.
Plants of the new Heuchera can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Bronze Wave. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of the cultivar Bronze Wave in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera were smaller than leaves of plants of the cultivar Bronze Wave.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera had silvery purple-colored upper surfaces whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Bronze Wave had bronze green-colored upper surfaces.
3. Plants of the new Heuchera flowered about three to four weeks earlier than plants of the cultivar Bronze Wave.
4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Heuchera were longer than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Bronze Wave.
5. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera were pink in color whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Bronze Wave were greenish white in color.
Plants of the new Heuchera can be compared to plants of the cultivar Silver Scrolls, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,066. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of the cultivar Silver Scrolls in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera were more sharply lobed than leaves of plants of the cultivar Silver Scrolls.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera had silvery purple-colored upper surfaces whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Silver Scrolls had silvery red purple-colored upper surfaces.
3. Leaf petioles of plants of the new Heuchera were pubescent whereas leaf petioles of plants of the cultivar Silver Scrolls were glabrous.
4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Heuchera were more outwardly spreading than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Silver Scrolls.
5. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera were smaller and darker pink in color than flowers of plants of the cultivar Silver Scrolls.
Plants of the new Heuchera can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Regina, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Scottdale, Pa., plants of the new Heuchera differed from plants of the cultivar Regina in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera were more sharply lobed than leaves of plants of the cultivar Regina.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Heuchera had silvery purple-colored upper surfaces whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Regina had grayed green-colored upper surfaces.
3. Leaf petioles of plants of the new Heuchera were more densely pubescent than leaf petioles of plants of the cultivar Regina.
4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Heuchera were taller than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Regina.
5. Flowers of plants of the new Heuchera were smaller than flowers of plants of the cultivar Regina.